Oh Thanksgiving, how it snuck up on us this year. It seems as if just yesterday it was summer, and now there is a chill in the crisp blue air and we are entering the season of winter holidays. Our favourite. Family, friends, cooking, sharing, and being grateful for it all are all the things that I adore the most. Which is precisely why I love Thanksgiving.

I realize that the holiday is about abundance and tradition. This colourful dinner is about a new, albeit delicious, abundance. The kind that will satisfy your belly, nourish your body, but won’t leave you reaching for the antacid drawer. As for tradition, here at Golubka we always try to push the envelope and come up with tasty and healthy alternatives. That is our own little tradition.

As for tradition, here at Golubka we always try to push the envelope and come up with tasty and healthy alternatives.

Begin with turkey-shaped tarts filled with caramelized onions, mushrooms, fava beans and pomegranate sauce. A great combination of hearty flavours. Then, try a parsnip pasta – a winter root vegetable marinated in wine, and mixed with a creamy sauce of macadamia, sage and thyme.

Continue with vegetable skewers – any vegetables of your choice marinated in an aromatic mixture of oils, herbs, and spices. And what is Thanksgiving without a good cranberry sauce? Ours contains Irish moss, so that it can be presented on a plate in perfect little scoops. Just like ice cream. And for dessert – pumpkin pie. A pumpkin spice crust filled with a coconut and carrot custard.

Have a happy Thanksgiving! Eat well and rest well.

For the Veggie Kebabs

(You can use any vegetables you like)

2 each orange and red bell peppers – cut into different holiday shapes

Instructions for the Veggie Kebabs:
1. Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
2. Mix all the marinade ingredients, except the cilantro, in a blender.
3. Add the cilantro and pulse to incorporate.
4. Thread the vegetables on the skewers, and pour marinade over them.
5. Place kebabs in the dehydrator to marinate at 95F for 2 hours or more.

Turkey Tart

Instructions for the Turkey Tart Crust:
1. Mix all the crust ingredients in a food processor until smooth, adding more water if needed.
1. Use cookie cutters to create your shapes.
1. Place the tart finished Turkey Tart in the dehydrator for 4-5 hours. Gently remove the shell from the mold, and put it back onto a screen-lined dehydrator tray.
1. Dehydrate for another 8-10 hours until completely dry and crispy. 1. Store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Instructions for the Turkey Tart Filling:
1. Cover onions with warm water and lemon juice for 30 minutes, drain and rinse thoroughly.
2. Combine nama shoyu, vinegar, and syrup. Pour the mixture over onions, and let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Drain, leaving a little liquid, and spread on Teflex-lined dehydrator trays.
4. Dehydrate at 115F for 24 hours or until crispy.
5. Blend the onions in a high speed blender with 1 1/2 cups of purified water, chili pepper, and a pinch of salt.
6. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts and garlic with a pinch of salt to achieve tiny granules.
7. In the food processor, add the onion mixture to walnuts and mix until a paste-like consistency is achieved. 8. If needed, add water, salt and pepper.

Instructions for the Turkey Tart Topping:
1. Clean the mushrooms and cut into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
2. Mix the syrup, vinegar, water, and a pinch of salt, and pour the mixture over the mushrooms.
3. Crush the fresh herbs with the help of mortar and pestle.
4. Combine with the rest of the ingredients, with the exception of fava beans, in a piece of cheesecloth.
5. Tie the sides of the cheesecloth together and immerse in the marinade.
6. If using fava beans, slice them lengthwise to make 2-3 pieces.
7. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
8. When ready to assemble the tarts, drain the mushrooms, discarding the rest of ingredients in cheesecloth, and combine with fava beans.

Assembly
1. Divide the filling between tarts.
2. Most likely you’ll have extra filling, which makes for an excellent spread.
3. Finish with the topping, fresh pomegranate kernels, and pomegranate sauce.

Pomegranate Juice

Instructions for the Pomegranate Juice:
1. Score the skin of a pomegranate to make 8 parts.
2. Fill a large bowl with water, and break the fruit into 8 pieces holding it under water.
3. Separate the kernels from the skin and white parts under water.
4. The kernels should fall on the bottom of the bowl, while the rest will rise on the surface.
5. Discard the skin and white parts, and drain the kernels using a colander.
6. In a high speed blender, carefully pulse the kernels, releasing the flesh and juice, but not breaking down the seeds.
7. Strain through a fine strainer and discard the seeds.

Instructions for the Parsnip Pasta:
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients together and let marinate for a few hours at room temperature.

Instructions for the Macadamia Herb Cream:
1. In a high speed blender, combine all the ingredients until very smooth.
2. Add more water if needed. Adjust salt.
3. Thoroughly coat the marinated parsnips with the cream.

Instructions for the Cranberry Sauce:
1. In a high speed blender, combine all the ingredients until smooth.
2. Refrigerate until the sauce sets.

Instructions for the Pumpkin Pie Filling:
1. In a high speed blender, combine all the ingredients until smooth.
2. Refrigerate for several hours, or until set and ready to be spooned into the crust.
4. You can make pumpkin shaped pies by using 3d molds, or make a traditional pie by pushing the crust into shape in a pie dish and topping with the filling.

After seeing some bad press on agave syrup, I started to try more alternative sweeteners like Jerusalem artichoke syrup. It’s less sweet than agave, and has a specific taste, but I really love it.